Entry List : Dover Motor Speedway

• Thursday, July 17th, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Allgaier Leads, Mayer Chases, Truex Returns: Dover Set to Shake Up Xfinity Standings

With only seven races remaining to set the 12-driver NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff field, Saturday’s BetRivers 200 (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Dover Motor Speedway could play a big role in the championship outlook

Four teams are represented among the top-five drivers in the championship standings with reigning series champion, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier holding a 59-point advantage over Haas Factory Team driver Sam Mayer atop the current rankings. Allgaier (2018 and 2020) joins two-time defending race winner Ryan Truex as the only multi-time race winners at the Dover mile.

But Mayer, who boasts an impressive 11 top-10 and eight top-five finishes through the first 19 races – his 15 top-15 showings is a season best – is hoping Dover’s Monster Mile will be where he celebrates his first victory of the season. The 21-year-old Mayer was third in last year’s race and is a perfect three-for-three in top-10 finishes there.

A victory for the Ford driver Mayer Saturday afternoon would halt a record 11-race winning streak for Chevrolet this season. The bowtie has won 17 of 19 races.

It’s Joe Gibbs Racing, however, boasts the most wins at Dover – 15 – its lineup of Xfinity Series championship hopefuls includes a pair of talented rookies in William Sawalich and Taylor Gray and along with veteran Brandon Jones and this week, former NASCAR Cup Series star Aric Almirola in the No. 19 JGR Toyota.

The three fulltime drivers have all turned in standout summers with the rookie Sawalich coming off a career best third-place showing on the Sonoma, Calif. road course last week. Jones just scored his best two stage efforts on the season at Sonoma. Gray arrives fresh off his 11th top-10 finish of the season in California and is a former ARCA Menards Series winner at Dover – leading 116 of 125 laps to win from pole position in 2022.

Interestingly, it’s cousins Jeb and Harrison Burton, who are straddling the Playoff line. Jeb Burton, driver of the No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet holds a 16-point advantage over Harrison Burton, driver of the No. 25 AM Racing Ford for that 12th and final Playoff position.

Jeb Burton has finished 13th or better in five of his seven Dover starts with a best finish of seventh in 2020. Harrison Burton has similar encouraging statistics with three top-10s in four starts and a top effort of fifth place – also in 2020.

The entire series, however, must find a way to best the mighty JR Motorsports team, which has won 10 races this season with six different drivers. It is coming off a phenomenal showing at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway where five drivers finished among the top-10 and 18-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch claimed his third win of the season.

Zilisch now ties his teammate Allgaier, and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill for most wins on the season. They are the only competitors with multiple trophies.

NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain will steer the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend and two-time defending Dover race winner Truex will drive the No. 24 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing. NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series standout Rajah Caruth is hoping to make his first Xfinity Series start of the season. He’s entered in the Jordan Anderson Racing No. 32 Chevrolet. In addition, ARCA Menards Series rising star Lavar Scott will also be attempting to make his Xfinity Series career debut this weekend in the No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet.

Practice is at 11 a.m. Saturday followed immediately by Kennametal Pole Qualifying at 12:05 p.m. – both sessions available on the CW App. Brandon Jones is the defending Xfinity pole-winner.

• Dover Motor Speedway
• BetRivers 200
• Pole Winner: Taylor Gray #
• Age: 20
• Team : No 54 - Operation 300 Toyota
• Owner: Ty Gibbs
• Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff
• Taylor Gray won the Pole Award for the BetRivers 200 with a lap of 23578 seconds, 152685 mph
• This is his third pole in 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races
• This is his third pole and 13th top-10 start in 2025
• This is his first pole in two races at Dover Motor Speedway
• Nick Sanchez (second) posted his 10th top-10 start of 2025 and his first in one race at Dover Motor Speedway
• Connor Zilisch (third) posted his first top-10 start at Dover Motor Speedway It is his 15th in 19 races this season
• Taylor Gray (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Saturday, July 19th, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

From Road Courses to Concrete Ovals, Zilisch Keeps Winning

Lest anyone doubt the all-around natural racing talent of 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, the rookie claimed a series best fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory on the season in Saturday’s rain-shortened BetRivers 200 at the one-mile Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.

Zilisch led 77 of the race’s 134 laps in his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet before NASCAR was forced to call the scheduled 200-lap race early because of rain. A pair of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, driven by former NASCAR Cup Series veteran Aric Almirola and Xfinity regular Brandon Jones rounded out the top three.

Although he qualified third – three rookies topped the starting grid – Zilisch ran first or second for most of the race, ultimately taking the lead for good on the restart following the Stage 2 break.

“We’ve been showing it lately,’’ a smiling Zilisch said when he was informed on pit road the race was official and he was the winner. “First of all I hate that we couldn’t finish the race the right way. Aric [Almirola] was really fast and was going to give me a run for my money. Props to him for making me work for it.

“Still really proud of this Junior Motorsports team. … We capitalized on all fronts, had good pit stops both stages and put ourselves in a position to be in the right spot when the rain fell. Very thankful.”

Zilisch’s win total is best in the series. And the North Carolina teenager has been so good this summer that that he’s now on an eight-race top-five streak that includes three wins and three runner-up finishes for an average finish of 2.25. He’s led laps in 15 of the 20 races.

Even before making his fulltime NASCAR debut this season, Zilisch was a multi-race winner in the sports car ranks with huge victories in the biggest races on the schedule – last year’s Daytona 24 hour and Sebring 12 hour endurance classics.

Not too surprisingly, he immediately proved himself a road-course ace when given the NASCAR Xfinity Series opportunity, even winning from pole position in his first series start at historic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last summer.

He answered that resoundingly this year as a full-time competitor, hoisting trophies at Circuit of the Americas and Sonoma, Calif. road courses, but also proving his oval-metal winning at the 2.5-mile Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last month and now adding the one-miler to an increasingly broad resume.

Zilisch’s effort at Dover’s Monster Mile moves him into second place in the championship standings – 56 points behind points leader – and his JR Motorsports teammate, and the reigning series champ – Justin Allgaier, who finished fourth Saturday.

Zilisch’s best friend, Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love was fifth at Dover, followed by Ryan Sieg, polesitter Taylor Gray, Sheldon Creed and rookies William Sawalich and Christian Eckes rounding out the top 10.

“It’s been awesome and I feel like even when we miss a little bit we’re still a top-five car and being able to go the race track and know that in the back of your head has definitely been comforting and confidence inspiring every weekend,’’ Zilisch said. “Gotta keep knocking the door down with wins.”

Jeb Burton, who finished 20th, now holds a seven-point advantage on his cousin Harrison Burton for the 12th and final Playoff-eligible position in points.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action next Saturday at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR Cup Series regular Riley Herbst is the defending race winner.

• Drivers Entered: 40 (2 drivers will not make the race)
• Laps Scheduled: 200
• Laps Actual: 134 - Race Shortened
• Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds
• Time of Race: 1 Hours 15 Minutes 51 Seconds
• Average Speed: 105.999
• Cautions: 3 for 18 laps
• Lead Changes: 4
• Green Flag Passes: 608 (5.2 passes per green flag lap)

• Dover Motor Speedway
• BetRivers 200
• Race Winner: Connor Zilisch #
• Age: 18
• Team : No 88 - Carolina Carports Chevrolet
• Owner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr
• Crew Chief: Mardy Lindley
• Connor Zilisch won the BetRivers 200, his fifth victory in 23 Xfinity Series races
• This is his fourth victory and 11th top-10 finish in 2025
• This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in one race at Dover Motor Speedway
• Aric Almirola (second) posted his second top-10 finish in five races at Dover Motor Speedway It is his sixth top-10 finish in 2025
• Brandon Jones (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 15 races at Dover Motor Speedway
• Connor Zilisch (first) was the highest finishing rookie